Suzuki gives the Vitara SUV a sleeker look

The Vitara has a blacked-out window pillars, similar to those on the Mini. Buyers will be able to choose from different color and trim options.

Suzuki is giving is new Vitara a more mainstream look to broaden the subcompact SUV's appeal.

The automaker released a picture of the car ahead of its debut at the Paris auto show in October.

The five-door Vitara is the production model of the iV-4 concept first shown at last year's Frankfurt auto show. It will go on sale in Europe early next year.

The Vitara has lost the boxy utilitarian design of previous models and now has slicker, more mainstream crossover styling.

The new model will enter the carmaker's lineup below the SX4 compact crossover after Suzuki introduced a larger version of the SX4 last year.

The Vitara joins a hotly-contested segment in Europe for urban subcompact SUV/crossovers that includes models such as the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka, Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008.

While most new Vitaras will likely be front-wheel drive, customers can also order four-wheel-drive as an option, Suzuki said.

Suzuki has said that the Vitara was created specifically with the Europe in mind and the company hasn't decided whether to sell it in other markets. IHS Automotive expects Suzuki to sell about 23,000 units of the model in 2016 in Europe and 27,000 in 2017.

Suzuki sells the Grand Vitara, a midsize SUV.

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The Vitara is based on the iV-4 concept, first shown at last year's Frankfurt auto show.

Suzuki's vehicle sales in the EU and EFTA markets rose by 13 percent to 80,876 in the first six months, according to industry association ACEA. Last year, the automaker's sales fell 2 percent to 152,345.